This is part 2 of a series of three parts on the safety of LRT transit. Global Edmonton will explore this topic in Global News Hour on April 27-29. Part 1 focuses on the rider’s experience. Part 2 explores how LRT affects nearby neighborhoods and overall community safety. Part 3 will involve Edmonton City Council and police while both groups explore solutions.
When Ashley Weeden found a home in South Edmonton near the transit center, she was thrilled with her family’s luck.
But seven years later, she said she has discovered the ugly side of the convenience of coming to live near an LRT station.
“We’re really talking about whether or not we should move to a new community,” said Weeden, who lives in the Malmö Plains.
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Widen said she drove seemingly intoxicated strangers through the backyard while she played with her children. Her children once watched an arrest take place right behind the gate.
The community’s Facebook group is full of news about thefts, burglaries and alleged arson.
“The neighborhoods that should benefit the most from the transit system are the ones that are feeling these negative effects,” she said.
2:17 Riders share the extent of problems in Edmonton’s LRT Riders share the extent of Edmonton’s LRT problems
Crimes near Edmonton’s LRT system
The Edmonton Police Department is tracking community crime and released a digital map in March.
The LRT has a higher number of incidents in the city, which include complaints of attacks, theft and weapons.
“We didn’t even have to look at the crime map because we live it,” Weeden said.
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Read more: Man charged with “unprovoked attack” on senior at Edmonton LRT station
EPS declined to comment on any trends on the map, but neighbors told Global News they had experienced the proliferation of incidents first hand.
“This increase in crime, if memory serves, increased when the overpass was installed,” said Mohamed Elezabi.
Elezabi is a member of the Malmö Plains Community League and said talks are under way to close the fence that connects neighbors to transit. He admits that this is not an ideal solution.
“It would be uncomfortable for us LRT users. But the safety of the neighborhood comes first, “he said.
2:01 Charges against 40 people after Edmonton LRT drug investigation Charges against 40 people after Edmonton LRT drug investigation – March 23, 2017
City councilor Tim Cartmel also looked at the crime map.
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“These crimes of opportunity have to do with our LRT stations.
“I think some of this vulnerable community is supposed to be making their way from the center to other stations and committing crimes.
Cartmel said he believes vulnerable members of the community are victims of groups that want to take advantage of them, leading to petty crime to get quick money.
“Shifting them out of the criminal industry helps (reduce) the potential for more crime in residential areas by maintaining this essentially free travel channel that takes people out of the core,” he said.
Seek help
Transit union president Steve Bradshaw said security – and how to improve it – is also on the mind. He does not believe that the presence of hired guards acts as a deterrent to crime. Bradshaw said he would like peacekeepers to have more authority.
“They are very limited. They must at least be able to enforce the Mental Health Act. This will help us remove people with real difficulties from the system and provide them with the help they need, “he said.
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Bradshaw said crime in and around the station makes it difficult to attract riders back to transit now that they are returning to the office.
“The city is working very hard on this issue and we are working on it with them, but things do not change overnight,” he said. “It’s a complicated problem.”
Meanwhile, Weeden hopes her children – when they are old enough to drive alone – will reap the system’s rewards.
“We believe in public transport. We want to support the system and have our children be part of it, “she said. “But if it’s not a safe place, I don’t see it as an option.”
Edmonton is responding to transit concerns
At a news conference Thursday afternoon, an Edmonton City official said she was concerned about the safety of everyone on the LRT system.
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“We take the safety of our riders and our staff very seriously,” said Carrie Hotton-MacDonald, branch manager at the Edmonton Transit Office.
“We have many eyes on the system and we have zero tolerance for harassment, criminal activity, harming others or any other form of violence in transit.”
1:47 Edmonton man faces charges of unprovoked LRT attack Edmonton man faces charges of unprovoked LRT attack
Five more peacekeeping transit officers will be recruited by June, Hotton-MacDonald said, bringing the total to 93.
The city is also looking to add an opioid response team to tackle continued drug use and fears of overdose throughout the LRT system.
The bigger problem, Hoton-MacDonald said, is that transit safety issues cannot be solved by the transit department alone.
“These problems, which cause a lot of worry and a sense of insecurity, are much, much bigger than transit,” she said. “It’s the hardest part of all this.
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“We are talking about really broad social problems: people who do not have housing solutions, people who suffer from addictions and mental health problems (and) gather in our spaces.”
Read more: Man charged with “unprovoked attack” on senior at Edmonton LRT station
But what can riders do now to report problems or feel more secure? Hotton-MacDonald urged drivers to keep the Transit Watch phone number on their phone, use one of the blue emergency phones throughout the system or, if they are on an LRT car, use the emergency section.
Transit Watch’s phone number is 780-442-4900 and you can call or send text messages to reach the 24/7 Transit Control Center.
In an emergency, riders are encouraged to call 911.
The city must provide an update on transit safety to the city council on May 24.
– With files from Kirby Bourne, 630 CHED
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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